Mistaken Castaway
by redrider1007
Summary: What would happen if Arto was separated from Skulls? Would they ever find each other again? And what if Reid got to her first? OCxArto, ArtoxSkulls
1. Chapter 1

All right so this is my first ever fanfiction, so helpful advice is always welcome. Tell me grammar and spelling mistakes and right now I don't mind conductive criticism. Clearly this story is about WANTED. So anyway enjoy, most of this story is already written but I mainly work on my iPod so it might be awhile till I get to type the rest. So tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own WANTED. If I did it would be longer than a single volume.

Arto lost her balance on the violently rocking wooden floor and was tossed headfirst into the nearest wall, hitting the bed on the descent to the floor which was knee deep in icy water.

"Ow…" she moaned and raised a single, pale, shaking hand to feel a large knot already growing on her head. When she brought it down it was covered in her own crimson blood. Oh great, she thought sarcastically to herself as she wiped the rapidly flowing liquid from her clouded eyes.

The boat rocked suddenly to the left and the one oil lantern in the room, position above the single bed fell off its hook onto the clean sheets. The lamp shattered into little bits and glass flew into the water and linens. The candle, miraculously still lit, quickly set the wool blanket, the parts that were still warm, alight with right, orange flame.

"Damn!' she screamed through a crack of thunder and without thinking, took advantage of the momentary lull in the waves to spring lightly onto the bed. Arto stomped on the flaming hot wax with bare feet to put out the inferno and gasped upon realizing the sudden pain she was inflicting upon herself. She squeezed her eyes shut and jumped to the ground where she immediately hit water and the melted candle wax was instantly hardened to her small feet. That's what you get when you don't think before acting; it would be hard getting off later. Arto hopped around the room ignoring the scratches she was receiving from landing on broken glass and other debris that littered the floor but went unbeknownst to her. That miniscule amount of agony was nothing compared to the sticky wax now glued to her feet. Luckily the cold water was numbing them to where she couldn't really feel them. Her attention then drifted back to her head, which was becoming hazier. Everything in the room was an enemy to her.

In the heat of the storm Skulls had thrown her in their room, locking the door with a plank of wood that stretched across its width on the outside. As he always did so that she wouldn't get in the way. However the uncertain winds and her usual clumsiness were turning out to be just as dangerous as it was outside. Arto was about to fall again but as she went down managed to grab a hold of the pane of the only window in the room and gripped with all her might. Now the only light in the room was coming through that window but the dark gray sky did little anyway. The crew was bailing water from all possible locations and even from some places she had previously thought watertight. They worked hastily to protect her, their precious ship, and keep her afloat.

Even Skulls, who normally was the one to issue the orders that were to be followed, was on the mast tying down a sail. And there was the Doc beside him; together they tackle the last tie. Both were clad only in light breeches that were torn in random places from flying debris. Their identical Deaths Scythe tattoos glittered with raindrops. Suddenly the sails broke lose and flung toward the surprised pair. Doc ducked quickly but Skulls was hit squarely in the stomach and was launched off the mast. It seemed Skulls flew slowly through the air until at last he hit the rope ladder on the other side of the ship. Arto screamed shrilly fro her perch in the window and turned to stumble to the door, trying desperately to force it open. She gave up quickly and Arto ran back t the window, falling along the way.

"Skulls!" Doc yelled over the wind of the hurricane but the dazed man had already started to climb up higher and higher till he made it to the top where he started to untie the sail.

Skulls went out of view of the small window as another huge wave crashed through the window to plow into her. The powerful force sent her flying into the door, which jolted under her weight but didn't give way. However as she hit all the furniture in the room followed suit and the board on the other side shattered. Arto tumbled out of her confinement to land in a heap on the deck. On her hands and knees she hacked up the water she'd inhaled onto the ground. The she collapsed in exhaustion.

"Arto!" she heard someone yell. She tilted her head slightly o see a blurry figure jump off the ladder and rush over to her, the vibration on the floor causing a streak of pain through her head. "Arto!" the first mate shouted again over the howling wind before leaning down to pull her roughly to her feet. Immediately though she fell from the pain attacking the soles of her feet. "Hey, are you okay, lass?" he asked worriedly, leaning down to place a gentle, caring hand on her shoulder.

"I'm okay." She gasped and held onto his shoulder as she pushed herself into a kneeling position. He was actually asking if she was okay! Sure, she felt downright jolly in fact, both her feet were burnt and slippery with wax and now she had bruised ribs. She was about to collapse again but didn't knowing she'd never get up again if she did. Not to mention staying still was better than moving.

"Lass?" he asked again and after not getting a reply reached a hand to wipe away the plastered hair from her eyes. She flinched as it moved through the open gash on her forehead. The burly man looked at her pain glazed eyes, normally such a beautiful green, and was about to call the captain when the 5tallest wave yet hit the stern of the boat, sending it swaying sharply to the side. The unknowing girl was thrown like a doll toward the side and smashed into the railing like a puppet.

Skulls saw Arto on the ground when he'd finished wit the canvas sail. How did she get out, he wondered, and why didn't she ever stay where she was told to. He knew it wasn't her intention to annoy ad worry him but her personality just put her in the most dangerous situations. He continued to casually watch her as he agilely climbed down the rope. It was rather pain considering how his hands were rubbed raw from tugging at the stiff rope. he saw his first mate pick her up and set her on her feet but was worried when she almost immediately fell back onto the deck. He was slightly reassured when she got back up by herself but observed her as he descended. From where he was it seemed like most of Artos hair was stuck to her face but he couldn't be sure. Skulls watched as she swayed unsteadily and now he had to wonder whether something was the matter. Was she seasick, was she hurt? How did she escape from her room? He would have no answers till he reached her.

The very next moment a tsunami- like wave crashed over to side of the boat and the weak Arto was thrown towards the banister.

"Armeria!" he screamed uselessly and automatically leaped off the mast toward her seemingly lifeless body. Together they moved in correspondence with each other, never to meet it seemed as at last she hit the railing and flipped gracefully into the sea. At that moment Skulls also hit but didn't go overboard and could only stare as he reached out only in time to graze her wet hair.

Ok so how was it? Bad? Good? R&R please! Oh ya and if you guys have any better names for this fanfiction I'll take all into account, since I'm terrible at naming things.


	2. Chapter 2

All right so here is Chapter Two. Hope you all enjoy it. I apologize for how short it is, and it does move a little slow right now so bare with me.

It was an hour or so after Arto was unknowingly lost to the storm and the winds died down to a slight drizzle before the crew could relax while they worked. The crews young captain however was still draped across the railing off the ship, his head buried in an arm while the other was hanging over the edge lazily. All of them were in a state of absolute uproar as they devoured the sight of the mostly bright, clear sky above them and they voiced their happiness through cheers and shots of rum and other alcohol. The only two people not celebrating were the first mate and Skulls. The former monk walked solemnly over the ransacked deck till he reached his friend. No one around them had yet noticed their unusual silence though.

"We did it!"

"This is mighty swell, where's Arto?! Have the lass sing us a song!" the hat guy, easily intoxicated, yelled over the crowd and was greeted by merry applause. A group ran to where the door, shattered with bits of wood hanging off the hinges was blocked completely by rubble from inside the room. They gradually became quieter as they urgently moved the debris and some were knocked over by the sudden wave of water that rushed out of the room. It had accumulated after the door had been blocked.

"Arto, Arto!" they started to yell and pushed there way into the room to discover no life of any kind. However despite the obvious, the crew still searched the small room for any sign of their siren.

"The lass ain't here." One said stupidly as he looked at the empty room.

"You won't find her." The first mate told them as he crossed into the room to inspect it for himself. He trudged to the bed where he immediately saw the blackened sheets and fingered the dtreak of blood on the corner of the bed. Knowing whose it was he looked up sadly and got up and walked out of the room without so much as looking at the disstraugh crew.

"She was hurt. When she came out of the room her head was bleeding and by the looks of it, she stopped a fire that would have killed us all. Arto was captured by the storm." He said to no one in particular as he alked back onto the deck. They followed him with their usually cheery heads lowered to the floor. They knew the chances of getting Arto back was slim and most likely no one would ever see her again. Not that they'd voice that to the captain though, but she was probably dead.

"Captain what are we going to do?" the first mate asked, walking over to the man kneeling against the ship. Yet Skulls remained emotionless and didn't so much as twitch at being addressed. "Captain what do we do?" he questioned again and kicked him softly in the ribs. "Hey you get up!" he yelled but there was still no reaction.

"Here let me get it."

The crew looked behind them to see Doc, with his back to them. They heard a familiar click and they gasped as he turned around and thrust the barrel of his gun into Skulls' hair. The crew believed the captain would defend himself; he was about to be shot but to their surprise he turned his head just slightly to put his hand around the trigger and added pressure to it.

Damn, you!" they heard Doc grunt and he swung the gun to hit the side of Skulls' head. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Arto might not be dead. If there is a chance she is still alive, don't you want to try and find her?" he yelled and Skulls averted his eyes to them dazedly and once again reached for the gun in the doctors hand.

Without hesitation Doc pulled to barrel up and pulled the trigger.

"God damn it, what do you think you're doing!" Skulls yelled and the crew was relieve to see their captains eyes clear. He snatched the gun away from Docs hands and hastily threw it on the ground, breaking it in two. His left hand was clutching his upper right arm where the bullet had grazed him.

"It just grazed you, now get up!" he said fiercely, no longer the king, wise person they knew. "Don't you realize, Arto might not be dead; she's stronger than that! We'll go look for her! The crew won't mind some detours, they like her too!' Skulls green eyes opened wide as he stared uncertainly at them. He let his eyes gaze at each of his men's so as to see if this was all right.

"Well…" he said getting up with help from his frist mate. "Then let's go!" he said, a sudden smirk coming to his face but then he turned to the doctor.

"You had better bandage my arm, right now!"

As I said I apologize for this chapter being so short. The next chapter will be abou the length of the first but then it gets longer after that. As I said, this is my first fanfiction so help me out here and R&R!

Redrider


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for being so late, I procrastinated on my book report and with the Super Bowl… crazy… so here is chapter three!

Disclaimer: Yo no own Wanted.

The salty sea combined with the scorching sun had weakened and dehydrated what was left of the fallen Arto. Now all that was left to see was a dirtied imp of a woman hanging on a large plank. Though she didn't seem to be doing anything, she was desperately hanging onto the slippery, gunk inhabited board so hard that her small fingernails were bleeding from clenching it. The slimy moss however, provided a comfortable cushion for her wounded head and she lay against it greedily, wincing when the salt water hit the open gashes. The blood was hardened now and was brown with age. Her plush pink lips were red and chapped from the sun. The same as the rest of the right side of her face which had already started to peel and flake.

Two days she'd been floating on the never-ending ocean without food or water to replenish her. On the surface she was red and sweating, but underneath the water she was freezing from continuous exposure to the frigid water. Not even the lull in the waves, the lullaby she'd come to love, could settle Arto's feverish mind. Not that she could think clearly at all, she'd been hurt badly enough on the ship without adding cold water and humid weather to the mix. She was close to dying and it was certain she would shortly if someone did not find her shortly.

At first she'd just tried to survive the storm. While she still had some reserves left she'd managed to grab a passing wood plank that had come off the side of the ship. It looked like a part of the railing. At the time she'd thought how she'd probably help fix it, though the crew would insist it was men's work not to be done by a female. Ironic seeing how the chance of her ever seeing them again was diminishing along with her. Would they even bother to look for her body she wondered. She could teach them to respect her, live with her, and to accept her, but she couldn't teach them to care. That wasn't relevant at the moment though so she just held on. She rode the waves on that, going over swells larger than the boat and hitting debris as she went crashing down the other side. The ship got farther and farther away each time she opened her eyes.

Then the sun came out. The heat lost during the storm quickly came back and it got hotter as the day progressed and heat fever started in a blur. Then the hallucinations began as well. They started simple, a ship in the distance, an island, but then Arto reached out to her parents, long dead and Luce as she once knew him along with the Skulls of the present. The dreams following turned to nightmares.

She was in a fine ball gown, not minding in the least, with as grandiose an atmosphere as you could ask for in a party. Ladies in beautiful, elegant dresses and the musicians playing music while the couples danced around the room under the sparkling chandeliers. In the middle of it all, she noticed Luce as he was eight years ago, beckoning her quietly. His kind words echoed through her ears like bird song and gave her a warm, safe feeling.

Out of nowhere it felt like a strong hand gripped her shoulder and she was thrust around away from Luce and suddenly saw Skulls. He was wearing a plain, white shirt with the first button undone as it always was, showing his chest and tattoo. His hair was clean gleaming but the smile she was hoping for was nothing to compliment on. Instead she got the usual smirk, like he was looking at a little girl. His merry crew was behind him, enjoying beer and dancing, if you could call hopping around and falling dancing. Most fell over as the passed out drunk but such play made her smile.

She was pulled around again to face Luce and held out his pale hand to her and smiled adoringly. This time however she wasn't quite sure what he wanted and she realized she was back in her dress. It was a pale green, flowing dress with sleeves that went do halfway and let out the rest. It fell to her feet but was just short enough that it didn't brush on the ground and get dirty. She started to reach out to his hand in a trusting manner; his smooth, clean, beautiful hand, but suddenly she heard a sharp, gruff voice behind her.

"Arto let's go! The navy's here!" the girl turned around to see herself on the docks with a ship with the irreplaceable flag of the royal navy right up next to them. The crew had already started to fight to soldiers attempting to board. There were shards of glass from broken rum bottles thrown away in their haste to grab weapons. However she was on the docks, preventing their immediate departure. Another hand turned her to face Luce.

"Come on Armeria…" he laughed softly and pushed his hand farther toward her but now she was reluctant to give it to her.

"Ah…" she mumbled, still undecided.

"Arto let's go!' she heard Skulls and looked over her shoulder. The navy was attacking relentlessly and the crew was outnumbered, more than they could handle this time. Even X (the guy with the X tattoo and dreadlocks, I'm gonna call him X) had fallen to a naval soldiers sword and was crawling away from getting speared through the gut. She screamed at the sight of her friend, if you could call him that, and was about to run to him in a desperate attempt to save him but she was flipped to the other scene,

"Armeria where are you going? Let's have fun! Let's dance!" Luce gleamed brightly but Arto panicked.

"I can't Luce! I want to really! I'll be back! I just have to…" she trailed off as Luce's face turned gray and he started to fall forward. Protruding out of his back was a sword and the whole picture started to fade. Now she was standing on the deck of the ship but no one was with her. They were all sprawled on the ground, seemingly dead on the floor. Even the invincible Skulls, and right next to him his childhood friend Reid, who'd looked like they killed each other. Arto ran to every man checking to see if any still lived, none were alive. The last person she checked was Skulls, knowing that of the people there he would live the longest if down. Collapsing beside him she gently smoothed his ruffled, orange hair. Now shining red with blood and wept loudly.

Arto woke up suddenly and lost her grip on the board to fall into the water. She drifted down, farther and farther, and she couldn't breathe. Her breathe came out in a whoosh of bubbles and she fought with some unknown strength. She gasped, choking and quickly jumped back onto the plank, splashing water into her eyes and mouth. Blinking back salty tears she looked around briefly and heard an unfamiliar noise. She and the board bobbed up and down over the small swells. This didn't phase her, lying there quietly as she shivered and sucked in much needed air. A strong wind came up and blew over her body causing a full convulsion but she didn't look up , she didn't even care anymore, and even if she wanted to she wouldn't be able to lift her head up. The waves grew larger and now she heard low guttural noises but she was too tired to move. She finally resigned herself to this unavoidably fate. That dying was the only way left. She wasn't going to see any of them again. Not Doc or Thomas* or even the hat guy. Arto would never see Skulls again.

Suddenly she lost all feeling and fainted, whether from sickness or the thought of never seeing him again she wouldn't know, but she was going to die.

Arto's body went limp and her hands let go of the board.

Good, bad, absolutely horrible? I need to know. *About the whole Thomas thing, my dads a high school history teacher so I asked him a name you'd associate with a monk and he gave me that. Thomas is the first mate though I'll probably never call him that because I thinking about it being that it's Arto and his little secret. If you read the side panels Hino says that he might be a monk. That's the reason. Also so about how short this chapter is, the next one will be longer I promise and you'll get to meet the OC. Oh yeah and you Skulls fans out there, from now on he plays no roles for quite a while so sorry bout that!


	4. Notice

Notice!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry guys but I had the whole chapter typed and ready yesterday but my memory stick decided to crash and now I'm having to rewrite it all!!! I promise it'll be up today or tomorrow. Sorry.


	5. Notice 2

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I've been trying to sort out the parts of the fourth chapter that I have and what I don't but somehow one paragraph's at the end and another's in the middle and ugh!!!! So anyway, I haven't forgotten about you. Oh yeah and then one day we got the dreaded blue screen!!! Ya know the one with all the numbers. So my dad had to fix the problem. So I'll try to get the next chapter out fast but I'm so confused!


	6. Chapter 4

"Man Overboard!" a sailor hollered from a top the crows nest with a long telescope pulled up to one eye. "Slow the ship!" he told the gathering crowd of people under him. A man dressed in captains garb slammed a door open and came running out of his quarters to sprint to the railing.

"Who is it?" he shouted and looked around franticly for the survivor. The crew raced around him, trying to slow the ship down to give them time to pick the straggler up. The seaman's code, which they were all bound under, told them that they were to rescue any person, or ship in distress. The only exception was for pirates, in which case they were to create as much distress as possible before promptly sinking their ship.

"Some kid, sir! He's over there!" the sailor shouted and with a quick point of the finger showed him to a place in the near distance from the vessel.

"Telescope." He ordered and his attendant, not once looking away from the person, put one swiftly into his outstretched hand. Bringing it up to his eye he peered through it to study the corpse lying in the sea to the right starboard side of the ship. The man gasped when he recognized the familiar silver head, matted in red, and the sun burned face stuck to the driftwood.

"Oh no… Get someone down there now! Slow her down more and get that girl!" he yelled.

"Yes sir!"

"Don't salute me! Get the job done!" he shouted again and the large yacht's speed visibly decreased. A man came over to the side and threw a rope ladder over the side while another took the liberty of descending to the water and grabbing Arto as she passed by and fell off the board at last. Hulling her back up by her waist he handed her off to another man halfway up and he lugged her the rest of the way up and over the side.

"Captain, I don't think this one's alive. The girl ain't breathing." The seaman informed him as he gently set her down on a bed of fish netting that provided a cushion for her. He immediately started to check her vitals, starting with her pulse and his voice was suddenly hasty. "She's still alive, but not for long! Must have taken in too much water." he exclaimed in surprise and suddenly had to jump back as the commander lurched through the circle of people to get to her.

"Someone get water! Everyone else, get away, don't crowd her." he demanded and to the crews up most ashtonishment he knelt down next to her and pressed his mouth to hers. Sending air straight to her lungs and then forcing it back out again as he pushed on her chest, unaware of the wounded ribs.

However he wasn't getting any response from her and as the minutes worn on many of the interested spectators started to lose hope and returned to their posts to get the ship back up to speed and on course.

"Sir, here is the water you requested and I brought a cloth as well." A very young man said and the commander glanced at him anxiously.

"Take over." He told him expressionlessly and they quickly switched spots. He wet down the cotton cloth and draped it over Arto's forehead, which soon ran red with blood. "Damn it, why are we the only naval vessel they thought would do fine without a doctor onboard?" he mumbled and the man hesitated to say that seeing how accomplished the commander had come to be and the fact that he too thought they'd do fine without one at the time was the reason why they didn't. The continued their work relentlessly but Arto wasn't stirring and even the optimistic captain was beginning to lose faith in the young woman's revival. She looked pitiful in death, face as red as a ripe tomato and lines of blood mapping her face. He hadn't seen her feet yet, which was probably a good thing. For one reason or another the thought of losing her brought a sort of pitiful feeling into his heart, as if he wasn't strong enough to save her.

A muffled sound came and suddenly Arto started to cough violently but the water that came up she took back in since she was lying down on her back. Her chest started to heave spasmatically and the two men left sighed in relief.

"Help me get her up." He ordered and together the duo turned her on her side so the water would leave her mouth. The two were ecstatic at their achievement but were startled when she started to cry out and moan in pain, her face contorting and bits of dried blood flaking off.

"Arto… Can you hear me? Arto!" he said more loudly the second time but she couldn't lift her head to look at him in her pained state. The commander quickly saw this and and picked her up as gently as he could despite her cries and walked briskly into his dimly lighted quarters. The other man followed close behind with the water pale. She was groaning loudly, showing the pain he was unintentionally inflicting on her but it was necessary to get her out of the sun. In the shaded area of the room he set her down on his bed.

"Reid... right?" she mumbled through heavy lashes. Now that she was out of the cold and heat she was growing tired quickly.

"Yes that's right. Now just go to sleep Arto. We'll take care of you." he said softly with a small haunt of a smile etched across his face and she grimaced back and she closed her eyes in agreement. She sighed, knowing he would keep her safe, at least for the time being, and relaxed into the clean sheets.

'Your name is Name, correct?" Reid asked the sailor standing beside him coolly as he turned around and the boy automatically straightened at being addressed formally for the first time.

"Yes, sir."

"Good, you're the new one, who everyone's been saying is reliable. Throughout the rest of the voyage please take care of Arto. Realize that I wouldn't give the job to just anyone, I've heard good things about you. Now unfortunately we don't have the time to stop off at any forts, we're already running behind on schedule. At the next stop we'll get her a doctor. I'm not sure but I don't think her life's in danger anymore." He said and immediately left the room before Name had time to protest. He'd gone from Sailor Omega to Nurse, and he wasn't quite sure if he liked that. Not that he was in a mind to argue but the captain didn't stay to even find out. Their new passenger intrigued him marginally but what was even more interesting was the mystery of the relationship between her and his captain. Even her name sparked uncertainty, such a masculine name for a young girl, she looked no nore than thirteen.

Name sat down hard on the stool and moved to take the moist towel off the girls forehead and wet it down again.

"Name, I was told a first aid kit. It's the only one on this confounded ship." A fellow sailor and his friend, Ren, said as he came in and set a wooden earning a dark look from Name to shut him up.

"Not much on this inkling is there?" he jested.

"You think so? I think she might be quite beautiful when she grows up."

"Grows up! Who are you to be talking like an old geezer when you're not but sixteen yourself!" he laughed heartily, clutching his stomach as if that was something even remotely funny and getting a scolding from Name for being loud. He had to calm down a minute and wipe his eyes before answering.

"You might be right though, cute face when not covered in blood, certainly not a fighter, this one." He agreed and took a minute to look up and down Arto and his gaze stopped at her feet and he had to move to the end of the bed to get a good look. "Damn, look at this girl's feet! What do you think happened?" he exclaimed and even the placid Name, gasped when he saw the countless burns under the layer of yellow pus. Name reached over her body and felt the soles but hastily pulled away when she groaned painfully in her sleep.

"Feels like wax, now how could she have done that?" he wondered aloud but neither had an answer for that.

"Well then tell me this, where are we going that we're in such a hurry that we can't stop off at some common port and get this girl to a hedge witch?"

"Might be since we were chasing those pirates that long that we have to scurry to some other mission. Captain doesn't tell us much, does he?" Name answered and Ren started to walk to the door.

"Not a damn bit, just what his sorry ass seems fit to tell his pathetic crew." Name sweat dropped as Ren walked out the door.

* * *

He sat there for hours, a calloused hand moved to her soft cheeks and he felt the heat radiating from her burns. Just a while ago she'd been on the bloody brink of death, and now she was sitting here with her lips partially open. Those lips had been… rather soft and had used fullness to them. Had it been the captain? Or was there someone else? His superior had known her name the moment he'd seen her so how was he to know. Speaking of which, why did he want to know?

In her sleep every breath she took was making the girl grimace and moan in pain but her body wasn't strong enough to even try and wake up quite yet. Name could hear her ragged takes and could only guess what was the cause. Slowly he reached for the first button on her male shirt and one by one worked his way down. His pale face turned a faint, pink tint as he brushed against a small mound as he came to her chest. Though he figured there were some on the ship bold enough to take advantage of the situation in front of him, he was a noble person and wasn't one to jump helpless girls. He felt especially guilty for even having to take the shirt off her in the first place. Name allowed the shirt to stay on her, covering her breasts from sight but exposed her stomach to his eyes which he was discouraged to see black and yellow bruises painting from collar bone to waist. Injured ribs no doubt so there was nothing he could do. Still, he decided to try and so picked up the box next to him and undid the clasp locking it. Inside he saw an array of medicinal packets containing various herbs lining the red velvet interior. Aloe, cough medicine, sleep powder, stomach medicine, and the thing he was really looking for, a packet with Pain Medicine-Paste written on it in black. That ment he could apply it straight to the skin.

The paste itself was a tan tint with specks of herbs in it and a first Arto flinched when he touched the first bruise with it on his fingers. However as he put more of it on she started to clearly breath more easily. When her stomach was completely covered he put all the things away and rinsed his hands off.

"How is she faring?" a voice asked and he swung around quickly to see the captain come into the room.

"Well since you left she's been asleep and I found her ribs bruised. Besides that look at her feet sir, I checked and they seem to have wax fused to them. When I touched them she started to cry out." He informed him as he indeed reached out to fell them.

Name put away the packet and took out the Aloe, which he was going to use for her sunburns. They'd cool them down so they wouldn't hurt so much later. Suddenly the girl in question started to stir when the icy gel hit her skin and slowly started to open her blue-grey eyes. She gasped in surprise and looked to each side frantically, seeing as how she couldn't use her peripheral vision since her body was too damaged to do anything. The first person she managed to spot was Name.

"Who are you? What am I doing here? Where am I? Where's Sk-" she started to ramble but was instantly silenced when the commander came into view and slapped his hand over her mouth. name noticed that when she spotted the captain she relaxed slightly but there was aglint in her eyes that cautioned him from asking anything.

"Name, could you please leave us?" he ordered coldly and name stood, baffled. "Name..." he asked again.

"Oh, yes of course sir!" he said hurriedly and rushed out of the room before he had to be asked a third time.

"What happened?" Arto asked once name had left the room.

"I suppose you fell off the ship during the storm."

"How did you find me?"

'What 'how' is there. You came floating by about four hours ago and we picked you up. You were dead when we got you. It's not as if we were looking for you." he said simply and they had a quick staring contest before Arto gave in.

"Then just how bad am I?" she asked sadly and did her best to try and get a good look at herself from the position she was in and noticed how her shirt had been undone by someone to show her bare stomach. "Who undid my shirt?"

'One of the younger sailors, Name, had to to get to your bruises, that's probably why you're having trouble breathing easily right now. He's a good man but besides that you also have an extremely bad sunburn on your face and neck along with an injured head, various cuts and bruises, and whatever you managed to do to your feet." he said as h gestured to each part.

"Oh, I stomped out a fire, I think. A lamp fell and caught the sheets on fire and I stepped on them without thinking of the candle wax."

"So that's what happened, I was wondering…" he lapsed into silence and Arto took a moment to catch her breathe in the most painless way possible. There was no painless way.

"So what now? Doesn't this ship have a doctor or someone with any knowledge of medicine? I can barely see you as it is." She asked when her head suddenly felt a searing pain that brought on black spots.

"Unfortunately no, we are one of the few vessels that doesn't. In two weeks we'll touch point in a navy controlled port where you'll be properly taken care of." He said rather heartlessly it seemed to her and glanced quickly around the room to make sure there were no unwanted prying ears. Seeing it safe he turned back to her. "There is something else you should be aware of, I am a commander bound by law to abide by government orders. Therefore the moment you have fully recovered you'll be handed over to the government.

"What!" she shouted shrilly and tried to get up but failed painfully. " You've got to be joking me…I thought we had a… truce of some sort when we left the island." She said angrily through gritted teeth and glared at him.

"Then you thought wrong. Though we did leave the island in peace. That was a short term alliance, we are not on the same side and I will make no exceptions for females, no matter who they are."

"We saved you, some thank you this has turned out to be…"

"Well I am going to allow you to heal first. Even I know how badly prisoners are treated in prisons, especially pirates, and I will make an exception for wounded females." He said almost with a kind expression on his face but then scowled again.

"Don't bother."

"I wouldn't but I doubt the crew would approve of a pirate on this ship for the next two weeks and I don't feel like explaining my sudden compassion for the woman of the Pirate Skulls so you'll have to stay on the ship."

"And if I don't want to?"

"Where would you go? My previous crew knows your face as well as your connection to Skulls, the brothel you infiltrated knows it too. You're as much as a fugitive as he is now minus the bounty. You can't even stand, you'd die in there if I handed you over now so why don't you just rest as much as you can." He said sensibly and turned around. He stopped when he got to the door and said, "Oh and Arto, I wouldn't go telling anyone about pirates. I've never met a crew that hates pirates as much as this one does." With that he left.

"Reid, I'm not done talking with you!" She yelled at the empty doorway and sighed.

Arto only had time to let her head fall back onto the plush pillow before Name walked back in.

"Are you hungry Miss Arto?" Name asked, smiling brightly as he walked over to her bed and set a tray of food on her legs, the only part of her not completely covered in bruises. There was fruit, venison, and a cup of water waited deliciously for her and her mouth watered just looking at it after days of not eating or drinking anything. The annoying commander forgotten she eagerly accepted the water offered to her and heartily, draining it in a few gulps.

"How do you know my name?" she asked after she'd wiped her sleeve.

"When you were unconsious the commander was calling your name while I tried to revive you.' Arto blushed at the mention of what had happened on the deck. Though it had saved her life a kiss was a kiss and CPR calls for a hard one. She didn't fault him though, she would have died had he not done it.

"So…" he said trying to start up some type of conversation and she would gladly oblige. "How did you get so beat up? Was your ship attacked by pirates or was it the storm?" his tone turned to one of disgust at the mention of pirate.

"Um…no, I just fell off during the storm… but would you mind me asking something?" she asked nervously. It had been a long time since she'd been in the company of someone who outright loathed pirates.

"Sure go ahead."

"You seem to really hate pirates, more than most. Do you hold a grudge?" Hoping that the question wasn't to personal she added that he didn't have to tell her.

"No it's alright. I'm one of four children. My father and older brother worked for the Marquis of Glendor. When the pirate Skulls sank one of his ships, they went with him to kill Skulls. They were killed during that battle. Skulls is the reason I hate pirates. If I ever meet him, I will kill him." He said and his face darkened throughout the story, causing Arto to become increasingly nervous. His strong conviction surprised her though and she was momentarily taken a back. He certainly did have a reason to hate Skulls and she empathetically reached up and pat his as she grimaced from a practically annoying gash.

"The Marquis though, he finances war, he's a bad person. Why would your family work for him? The navy is supposed to keep the peace, not destroy it."

"I admit they didn't want to work for him but our family is poor and my father and brother didn't want to be split up and the marquis was the only one who had two openings where they'd assuredly stay together."

"But aren't you a little young to be in the navy though? Just how old are you?" she asked.

"Fifteen. The captain made an exception after he heard my story. I have to provide for my younger sisters and mother." He sadly revealed and his head fell into his hands.

"Well if it helps at all, I know how it feels to lose your family. I lost mine ten years ago. I'm an orphan." Arto said.

"Then I guess we're alike," he jested, "So how do you feel?" he looked at her face and felt her head, which at first she flinched away but then allowed him to touch her.

"Terrible actually. I'm dizzy and it hurts to do anything."

"Probably because of your ribs. Do you want me to feed you? your stomach you hurt less if you have some food in it." he asked kindly going to pick up a fork.

"No, I'm not hungry." She said and Name's smile turned to a stubborn scowl.

"You must eat Miss Arto. You haven't had anything for two days and are very weak. You must take care of yourself."

"I don't want to. I smell like old fish." Arto wrinkled her nose for affect. "I want to change." Name blushed like a fool.

"I can get you clothes but I doubt you'll be able to put them on in your condition."

"You can help me sit up. Please name, I don't like smelling bad." she asked sweetly. There was no that if this was Skulls she'd be able t get away with this but when she'd been searching for this it had worked every time. The begging worked, though Name wasn't sure why he gave in to the girl, but he left the room and soon came back with a set of clothes. Arto had pushed herself onto her elbows but apparently wasn't able to go any farther. "Help me please." She asked and he put a hand on her back to gently push her up. She gasped.

"Do you want to keep going?" he asked nervously. She nodded, gritting her teeth.

"It'll only hurt more if you're gentle Name." She said and when she was in a sitting position turned away from him.

"Help me get my shirt off, but don't peek." She ordered and ever so slowly started to slide her sleeves down her smooth arms. Her bare skin uncovered unnoticed bruises, some serious and others not and Name's eyes moved to the small scar on her shoulder.

"How'd you get this scar." He asked soothingly and grazed the white line with his hand but pulled back when she flinched away from his touch. Misfire was all that Arto led on to and Name let the subject drop to move on to something else.

"There's a bad sunburn on your neck and arm Miss Arto." he told her and instinctively she turn to look at her arm where there had been a rip in her sleeve which had let the sun in. Other parts of her had similar red patches.

"I never noticed, it just felt warm. I thought it was because of the fever."

"It won't for long that way for long. You look like a Dalmatian, there's bruises back here too."

"I am not a dog!" she squeeled and Name started to laugh hysterically while Arto frowned unhappily but soon broke out into a wide smile. Name blushed. She had a really beautiful smile that lit up her whole face and her eyes shined past the sickness.

"Ya know, for a naval officer, you're really nice." She giggled.

"Are we usually not?" he asked and tensing, Arto froze, reconsidering her words.

"I haven't had the best experiences with them." She said carefully, she really had to watch what she said around here. She was in a room full of politics and she was the criminal. Suddenly the door blew open and a figure came in the room. She couldn't see who it was because of the setting sun at the persons back but the voice left no doubt that Reid was back.

"Arto, i heard you had promised to eat!" he said rudely and strolled over to her side with a stern look dominating his face.

"i will when I finish dressing and don't get any closer." she warned since she still hadn't been able to get her shirt on. She tried to say it in the most threatening voice possible but se failed miseribly.

"No, you have got to eat, the cook went out of his way to prepare something for you when we'd already eaten so at least eat it warm." He ordered sternly and that started a long staring contest between them which left Name standing sheepishly in the middle. Reid was keeping his eyes open out of anger for her insubordination but Arto refused to lose. If only she'd had more water then maybe she would've beaten him.

"Fine, I'll eat first." She said as she blinked continously to restore the moisture to her eyes.

* * *

Alright well that's the fourth chapter. As I said my memory stick died and the chapter was all jumbled. Besides the fact that I'm overloaded with sports and homework so I really don't have a lot of time on the computer. Also note that Name is pronounced like Na as in knot and Me as in May or for those of you who have watched the Vampire Knight anime on youtube or elsewhere Name is pronounced as the name in Kaname, which I didn't realize until I created him. So yes the next chapter should be up quicker and a extra special thank you for thee-dark-enchantress who offered to be my beta!


	7. Chapter 5

Willow, here is the next chapter for Mistaken Castaway for you to beta. Thanks a lot again for offering and take your time cuz I'm a slow typer. Hope it's OK just to send this to you. So… yeah, thanks. Delete this after you read it.

____________________________________________________________________

So here's chapter 5. It was actually supposed to be chapter 6 too but they're both really short so I combined them to just a short chapter. Oh well… here we go! Oh and if you find throwing up disgusting, don't read. Poor Arto…

______________________________________________________________________

"Name, Name!" Arto yelled into the night and the door opened within a minute to slam against the wall.

"Miss Arto, what's wrong?" he desperately asked, striking a match and lighting a candle before rushing over to the side of the bed. She was on her side with her head thrown over the side and was ghostly pale besides the light sheen that made her face look waxy. Her hair was matted and plastered to her head and even the gauze on her forehead was moist with sweat.

'I think I'm going to throw up." She croaked.

"Oh, ah… here is a bucket." He said, picking up a bucket that had mapping tools in it and dumping them on a table. He hastily stuffed it under her chin before she hurled what little she'd had to eat that day. Name rubbed his thumb in circles on her back, massaging her tense muscles. She was extremely skinny, his hands spread wide made their way most of the way across her back and she was barely wider than his fist. Yet she was somewhat adorable, he felt sad to think of how she must feel. In a place where the only person she knew was the captain and they, meaning the crew all agreed he could sometimes be unpleasant and strict. Even he acknowledged it. She collapsed when she stopped heaving and he took the bucket and rinsed it out before coming back in with a towel and some water.

"Here you go." He said, handing her the towel to wipe her mouth and rinse out the foul taste.

"What's the matter with Arto?" a voice asked and the captain came into the room with another candle. He was clothed in a pair of tan breeches and a white linen shirt which collar went almost down to his belly button. Reid studied her with calculating eyes and looked once more a the sailor.

"I'm not sure. She has a fever, throwing up, hot then cold. I don't know what this is." He explained tiredly. "This has been going on all night."

"Ah, then I know what the matter is. She has sun poisoning. Her sunburn is so severe that it is making her sick. If she's covered she'll burn up but if she's left uncovered she'll freeze."

"Is there any medicine we can give her?" Name inquired as he put a cool cloth on her sweating forward.

"There is no cure for sun poisoning. Aloe will help with the pain. She's really dehydrated so just give her lots of water. Just try not to move her to much, even that hurts." He suggested.

"Ay sir."

"Thank you for taking care of her Name." Reid smiled slightly.

"if you don't mind me saying sir, but you seem to know Arto rather well." Reid's face turned back to a frown at those words.

"Hopefully no more than I need to, right Arto?" he said and she nodded vigorously with an angry face that Name hadn't yet seen. Annoyed, yes, but not angry. It was a little unsettling on a ghostly face.

"Or dislike maybe." He observed, slowing turning back and forth between their expressions.

She nodded even harder and glared at Reid.

"You shot him." She croaked.

"It was necessary." He shot back expressionlessly.

"No it wasn't! he was already hurt and you went and hurt him more. I had to deal wioth his moodiness for days!" Arto was thoroughly mad now. She'd been really scared when the ceiling had fallen in and Skulls had gotten hurt. Him shooting Skulls further enraged her.

"Let's not speak of this here. rest for now, we'll dock at a navy port in two weeks." Arto moaned sadly. She didn't know if she could last that long.

"Sir, would it be possible to stop at a small town just to get her to a doctor?" Name spoke up cautiously as he watched for his superior's reaction, dearly hoping that he hadn't overstepped his bounds. Arto glanced at him in deep relief. He knew best how much discomfort she was in. She'd only just this afternoon met him and he was already nice to her, though he could have been ordered by Reid to befriend her.

"No we were instructed to go straight to the port. We already spent enough time chasing after Skulls before the storm hit." Reid informed them coldly and that ended that conversation. Nodding to the both of them the commander turned and strutted briskly out of his quarters, he was now sleeping on the cowch in his office, without another word.

"Name?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to throw up again."

_____________________________________________________________________

All right, time for a little explanation. For those of you who have never had sun poisoning it is when you spend a lot of time in the sun so you get really sick. I played softball from nine a.m. till five-thirty p.m. and then it rained, and I mean poured. So at midnight I got seriously sick. Totally not fun my friends. Never go without sun block. All the side effects are true and painful, I repeat, **do not try this at home folks**!

____________________________________________________________________

Name rushed into the commander's office, stumbling in his haste and knocking into the side of the door on the way in.

"What is it, Name?" he asked in a clearly bored voice as he leafed through his finished work, having nothing else to do.

"Sir, please, I beg you, stop at the nearest town, Miss Arto won't last ten more days! Her fever's up again, she's not eating, she is unconscious most of the time and when she's not, she doesn't recognize me!" Name pleaded. Gradually throughout the day Arto had not been able to identify him and often had gone into fits of thrashing to get away from his unfamiliar voice. When she'd asked him who he was after four days of never being apart, he knew something was seriously wrong, she needed help, and fast. "The injury on her head is getting infected, it's turning green. She needs to see a doctor! Please!" he yelled.

"Hey Name, your girl's not breathing!" Ren shouted outside the cabin and Name swore. Jumping up Reid followed him out and they went back into Arto's room where she was indeed, not breathing. Name ran over to her and immediately started to give her CPR until she came to. Her eyes were glazed and looked glassy and she looked at them blankly. Her breaths were ragged and they could both tell that she was having trouble-drawing air.

"You're fine Arto… you are going to be alright." He said soothingly as he brushed her sweaty bangs from in her eyes. Suddenly, the mortified Reid bashed out of the room and back into his workroom to glance at the map on his desk.

"Commander…" Name murmured, having tailed him from the room and appearing in the doorway. However he strode back out before he could answer.

"Attention men! We have a new destination" That caught the attention of the crew and the quickly gathered in front of him. "We are now headed to Port de Fleur!"

"Sir?" they all exclaimed.

"Port de Fleur hates the whole government sir! Why are we going there?" One asked shrewdly from on the mast.

"The girl we picked up four days ago won't last to our destination so we need to stop off somewhere close. She needs medical attention immediately if she's to live. Now move! The island's only ten kilometers away so we'd been get there before sundown!" he shouted loudly and the men quickly dispersed to their posts. Name walked up to him and fixed him with a confused gaze. Being a first time he had no idea why that particular port was not a fan favorite among the crew.

"Sir, why does this port hate the navy? We're not bad people."

"Awhile ago Port de Fleur was ransacked by pirates but as punishment for being a rather rebellious town, the government didn't offer any help to restore it."

"Well I guess that would give them a reason…"

"That's not all. For some reason the pirate, Skulls, aided them. Now that port is one of the few where he can walk free." Reid explained angrily. The thought of a pirate helping commoners when the navy would not put a sour taste in his mouth and the fact that it was Skulls just angered him even more.

"We'll arrive in a few hours. Make sure you're ready to disembark with her when we get there Name."

"Yes sir."

_____________________________________________________________________

Alright so there was the short chapter, I promise the next one will be longer.


	8. Chapter 6

Heehee! Have fun with the chapter folks. It'll take longer getting this stuff out though since this is the last chapter I've written so far in my spiral, I always write in the spiral first so this could take a while. Aw crap this chapter is really long! This is going to take forever!

Note to thee-dark-enchantress: Wow, I sincerely apologize but my computer is being annoying and refuses to take off the controls saying that I can't attach anything to an email. So if i ever get them off, then i'll send you the next chapter but until the, let's not keep the nice readers waiting. Again, my apologies.

Disclaimer: Gosh, I keep forgetting to do this so here... I own not one bit of WANTED except for Name. please don't sue

* * *

Reid and Name, with Arto in his arms stepped down the plank of the ship onto the clearly new dock of the Port's harbor. A burly man wearing just breeches saw them from his boat as they started to exit and stepped down to speak to them in disgust.

"It's a shilling to dock your ship here." He said gruffly and held out his calloused hand expectantly. He glared at the commander, not allowing them to pass until he was given the money. Other sea goers had stopped their work to stare at them in obvious anger and annoyance.

"The navy is granted right of free passage in any harbor if there is an emergency, as there is here." He stated coolly and gestured to the unconscious Arto beside him lying against Name's chest. The man glanced briefly at her and for a second his eyes widened but he quickly brushed it away.

"Did the lassie's ship sink?" he asked, his voice only marginally gentler.

"I doubt that would information would be of any use to you, but no, she fell off." He replied. The man nodded knowingly with a calm smirk on his face and turned to let them through as the others stared at them in astonishment as they walked by. It was if they'd never seen the navy before.

"Thank you." Reid said sincerely and he and Name rushed into the town. Name was shocked by what he saw. Having a terrible image of pirates in his head he'd expected the town to be a home for outcasts and fugitives where there would be men lying around drunk and prostitutes hanging all over you. Not at all like what was actually in front of him and in some ways it was better than some military posts. The streets were clean and all the houses were expertly made. Poverty was at a minimum; even the docks were crafted to the point that royalty would gawk.

Reid saw a young girl walking with a basket of fruit in her arms and gently stopped her and asked for directions.

"Miss, excuse me but where might we find a doctor? Our friend is where sick." He asked kindly and the girl glared at him before pointing down the road to a small building on the side of the road. It seemed that Arto was their main ticket to anywhere in the town. They sighed in relief and gave their thanks before rushing to the door where Reid halted suddenly. On the door was tacked a piece of paper with a scribbled message.

At Madam Soala's

Find me there in case of emergency

Out till morning

Doctor

"Where's Madam Soala's?!" Reid exclaimed, very exasperated at the constant obstacles.

"Ah… I know! It was by the harbor, it- it was a brothel!" Name said and together they went back down the lane, drawing a lot of unwanted attention the whole way.

"There it is!" Reid almost shouted pointing to the wooden sign waving at them over the doorway. "Do you want to wait outside? You're kind of young to visit a brothel." He suggested, about to swing open the door.

"No, I'll come with, I want to get Arto out of the sun." Name relented. This wasn't going to be nice on the eyes.

"Alright." Reid replied before opening the door and immediately stepping into the dim room. In some ways it was similar to a naval brothel, plenty of women and beer. When the door banged against the opposing wall, curious eyes drifted to them standing in the doorway but curiosity soon turned to hate and they heard a plate smash. A small, old woman with curly gray hair was walking briskly toward them as they listened to the not too silent whispers. Many wondered if the navy was invading their town and others issued words of unwelcome. The two stood there awkwardly until the woman came up to them.

"The navy isn't welcome in this brothel, much less this town. The ladies won't entertain you." She said as politely as she could to them through obviously gritted teeth. The city would be much happier with them gone so she decided to do the honors of throwing them out.

"That is very true but we are in deep need of help." Reid protested and quickly gestured for Name to come forward with Arto breathing raggedly in his arms. Her head was over his arms and she had no strength to support and let it hang back. Suddenly all the eyes in the room were focused on the still living corpse of the young woman. Some gasped at the sight while others merely flinched but none disclosed her identity to the officers. Arto was lucky that the horrid navy had decided to stop here of all places. There were some that knew her as Skulls supposed mistress and so not all would sympathize with her even if she were just a girl. "We found her in the sea. We heard the town doctor was here. We need to see him." Reid pleaded but refused to lose any of the naval pride in his voice. He looked out over the audience and stopped at one man who had quite a few women hanging on him. Their hands were in his black hair and they were all looking at him with purpose and seduction. He took one last swig of rum and stood up from his spot in the back of the room. He looked to be in his twenties, young for a doctor but his eyes shown with intelligence as he pealed off the women one by one whispering apologies. They complained softly but he walked over to them nonetheless.

"I'm the doctor." He said grudgingly and observed Arto from Name's arms. "Everyone get back to your drinks." He leaned forward and allowed his ebony hair to drape over his face as he checked her temperature. "What happened to this child?" he asked worriedly and his hard face softened when he touched her burning forehead.

"Fell off her ship apparently. Hit her head, has broken and bruised ribs and her feet are in terrible condition." Reid informed him and the doctor instinctively looked down to see her waxy feet. He remained calm however and silently walked out of the brothel, leaving them behind. Clearly he still didn't like the fact it was the navy he was helping.

"Do you think-"

"Yes."

Reid and Name hurriedly out into the street where the doctor was already far ahead of them, it was if he had intentionally ran just to spite them. They were surprised however to see that yet another person was following the doc to his store. Madam Soala rushed a step behind them as they trudged down the street toward the doctor's place. Now that they saw the doctor next to his home they noticed the definite resemblance in taste.

"I have but one thing to say to you," The doctor said solemnly, stopping them right before they entered the building, "I cannot guarantee that she will make it. She's very far-gone already and by the time I get that gunk off her feet she'll be in terrible pain. I don't know if she'll be able to handle it." Wearily he turned around and walked in to the annex and Name glanced at his superior with an obvious question in his eyes.

"We have to take the risk."

"But sir! Maybe there's another-"

"No Name! You know there is not. Now lets get this over with." The commander ordered.

"Yes, sir." Name would have bowed in submission had he not been carrying Arto so simply walked into the hut and looked around. Only the last bit of light shining through the two windows lighted it. There were steep stairs in one corner of the room that they could assume led to his room upstairs. The bed that was on the ground floor was probably meant for a patient since he gestured for Name to set her down there.

"We're lucky that her heads is just a flesh wound. I can prevent the gang green. Now I'll be needing your help. You'll have to hold her down when I peal and cut the wax off her feet.

"I will." Reid volunteered immediately seeing as how he was the strongest there. The doctor had gone to grab a large box out of a cabinet on the far wall and had brought it over to the bed.

"What so you need me to do?" Name asked hesitantly asked as he paced the small room with his head on his head. Of them all he had become the most attached to Arto and would be the saddest if she died. He grown very fond of her in the time he'd spent with her. He'd opened up more to her than he ever had to anyone, even Ren, and ion return she'd told him a little about herself.

Flashback

Well, you've certainly heard all about me, what about you Arto? How did you get yourself in this predicament?" he smiled, hoping he wasn't making her uncomfortable but she just smiled back, though grimacing when she stretched her sunburned face and answered.

"My parents died when I was really young and so I joined a troupe that sang at estates. I stayed with them till I was seven; we were at the Lanceman property. We had been staying there for a while, I don't know how long and there was this really nice boy. He was about fifteen at the time and he always got me out of tough situations. He was the nephew of the governor but often when he'd seen that he was pushing me to hard would yell at him and take me away from all of the people. His name was Luce and he was my best friend and crush. Silly isn't it? That at seven I was already head over heals for a guy?" she laughed and scratched the back of her head.

"No you're not, everyone goes through something like that. Where is Luce now?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Oh! Ah… he's… dead I think. Shortly after that he was showing me a flower, Armeria, and the pirate Skulls attacked and took him as a bargaining tool. The governor was cruel though and took his treasure and left." Arto looked down and didn't let Name see her face for a minute but then tossed her hair back off her face and smiled softly. Name put his hand on hers and smiled reassuringly. Stupid really there was nothing that could be done and secretly, there wasn't anything needing to be done. She did have Luce, well Skulls actually, but they were the same person, though she'd die before telling name that.

"So how'd you end up on that merchant ship anyway?" he asked as he grinned in amusement at her face, though he didn't know that it was because she hadn't come up with that story. It was all the commander's doing.

"Well…haahaa… I am still looking for Luce so that was just a way to get around." She chuckled nervously and Name seemed to take the lie.

"That's great Arto! We can look for him together and I can kill Skulls while I'm at it!"

"Oh, ah that's swell Name, just swell…"

End of flashback

* * *

They'd passed the time together and no matter how much he wanted to deny it himself, he didn't want to lose her.

"I want you to sit beside her and reassure her. She's going to be in quite a bit of pain. At that time you are going to let her bite your hand or finger. If she bites her own to hard she could break her teeth or bite through her tongue." He instructed Name and the boy nodded while pulling another chair up to her bedside near her head. The doctor opened the lid to the box and Name leaned slightly to see what was inside. He gasped at the sight of the steely tools. Knives, scalpels, and other sharp, silver objects lined the velvet cushioning. One of the knives was as wide as his hand and the doctor chuckled when he saw the teenager staring at it in the utmost horror.

"I'm not going to use _that_ one. It's for amputating, we're not going to have to do that." He smiled and the expression lit up his whole face. "Then let's get ready, _commander, _you should actually sit on her legs and hold down her arms." Reid nodded and quickly stripped off his jacket, positioning himself over her but not yet exerting any weight on her. The air was suddenly very tense as the doctor heated up a small knife over a flame, they didn't have any more time to think, only to act.

Arto's breaths were growing more ragged with each passing minute that they stalled. Her clothes were soaked from her body's attempt to sweat the fever out and as Name touched her face the skin slid under his fingertips. The moisture was causing her lose skin to bubble and tear. (Not a pretty sight my friends, painless but you have six-inch sheets of skin coming off. Okay TMI.) The skin falling off caused patches of white and new pink skin to show.

"Isn't there something you can give her to help the pain? Pain killers or something?"

"I have no immediate pain killers and no anesthetic strong enough to keep her asleep through the whole operation. Even if I did, I wouldn't give it to her. If she were to survive her body will be very weak and they might be counterproductive and assist her body in shutting down permanently."

Another chair was pulled up and Madam Soala set down heavily with a wet cloth in hand. Reid stared at her angrily, silently sending messages through his glares.

"Oh don't look at me like that," she retorted, pretending she didn't know what he was trying to say with his eyes, "what is the child going to think when she wakes up not being able to move and pain shooting through her legs. She won't know what is going on…"

"I would never…"

"Maybe, but does she know that?"

"She should…" Reid replied but his voice was weaker than it had been a moment ago.

"Then this girl is foolish. You should never trust men, especially military men." Reid and Name frowned but the doctor only grinned broadly.

"Now Madam Soala, you're hurting our pride. We're not all bad." He chuckled but she just gave a hmm… and they were cut off from their argument by Arto's loud, ragged breathes that were becoming increasingly more uneven.

"Shall we proceed?" the doctor asked with one black eyebrow raised. Name answered yes and everyone got into his or her positions. Name forced Arto's mouth open and put the side of his hand in, making it so as she had to breathe through her nose. Reid put his weight on her legs and leaned over her to the point where he was almost looking down on her face. "Well, alright then." He replied and firmly began to use the blade to scrape of the wax. In order to et it all off he sometimes had to drive into the soles of her feet as well.

Suddenly she opened her bloodshot eyes and she glanced around franticly. They seemed to grow larger to the point where they thought they might just pop out of her head as her pupils swiveled around the unfamiliar room. All but the doctor and Madam Soala smiled sadly at her. Abruptly she cried out a pitiful sound and bit down hard on Name's tender hand before realizing it was there. Her eyes squeezed shut painfully and Name resisted the urge to pulled his hand back from her sharp teeth. When her eyes opened again they were glistening with tears and turned her glare to the commander on top of her. Immediately she started to squirm and struggle violently against his iron hold.

"Stop her or it'll be more painful." The doctor ordered before returning back to his work. The tears under her eyes now began to slowly spill over just like the blood running down the doc's hands.

Arto was trying to let go of Name's hand without screaming from the sharp pain. She was barely getting a break, the doctor having to do more than just scrape the stuff off. Occasionally though, the girl would accidentally bite him hard enough to draw blood from where she was penetrating his skin and now she was coughing what was trying to slide down her throat. Her toes were constantly flexing out and in agony but Reid didn't relinquish his grip on her.

"Don't worry Arto. You're halfway there just a little while longer." Name reassured her in a gentle voice as he gave a quick look down at her feet where the doc was moving to the right foot but Arto still looked positively terrified.

"Arto you're only making this harder on yourself!" the doc yelled and looked at name and Madam Soala who had turned toward him. "Do something! She has rto stop struggling. One wrong move from me and she has no longer lost just the wax off her feet."

"I thought you couldn't amputate with that knife?"

"Not easily but if she keep thrashing like that we might have a problem!"

"What can we do though? She's not listening to us!" Name protested lamely and glanced between the two men. However both had blank expressions on her face. The commander's eyes lit up in understanding and he quickly issued an order.

"Wait a minute could you repeat what you just said sir?" he asked slowly, not sure he'd heard correctly and his emotions confuzzled (I made that word up).

"You heard me name. Right now."

"Ah but sir-" he stuttered, gazing at his superior with his wide emerald eyes.

"Now sailor!" Reid shouted as he held her down, the girl could really fight when scared.

"Ah, yes sir!" Name gasped in submission and as quickly as he could replaced his hand with his lips on her mouth. Almost immediately she relaxed and stared up blankly through Name's auburn locks to Reid's satisfied smile. Madam Soala and even the doc temporarily looked up to see what had stopped her. The woman growled and the doc merely raised his other eyebrow. His kiss was firm but not painful and she sat quietly when he returned his hand to her mouth.

"There, now she's stunned, maybe she'll relax a little now." Reid said.

"You're almost done, Arto." Name told her and smiled at her warmly, feeling his own cheeks heat up after their intimate exchange. He'd liked that kiss a LOT though he knew it would probably be the last one he'd ever get.

"She's falling unconscious." Madam Soala observed from the side. Arto's limbs had fallen slack and had no resistance left in them and her once clear eyes, shining only from pain, now had a hazy film over them and were slowly closing. At once the young doctor yelled franticly,

"No! Arto must stay awake until her life is no longer in danger! Slap her or something!"

"Arto! Arto! Come on, you have to stay awake, don't give up yet!" Name yelled and lightly hit her cheek with his left hand, the one not in her mouth. She wasn't biting him anymore, meaning she was falling into a comatose state and couldn't feel the pain any longer. She was still awake but her eyes were now closed and weren't reopening.

"I'm finished but she needs to stay awake." The doctor ordered. He grabbed a wad of gauze and began to stop the bleeding. Quickly he applied light green goo, probably some sort of medicine, onto the wounds and then bandaged them.

Name continued to slap her face until Arto began to acquire a red mark as his hit gained more force but it wasn't doing any good. She groaned a little as each hit landed but never did she open her eyes or try to protect herself. Name even tried to wake her by kissing her again, which he was all too happy to do but she remained unresponsive.

"Can she hear us?"

"I don't know, let me check." Name volunteered. "ARTO" he yelled as he leaned down close to her eye. She groaned. "Yes, she can hear us." He confirmed.

"Then I have an idea." Madam Soala said and told Name to get away from her and take his hand out of her mouth. He obliged suspiciously and the brothel owner leaned down next to Arto's ear just as Name had done and whispered something undecipherable into her ear. No one but Arto was able to hear it and whatever it was caused her eyes to shoot open and make her look at the woman in disbelief.

"It's true, believe it if you want." She said uncaringly.

"You're done little lady, now comes the easy part. I'm going to put some cream on those ribs and wrap them up ice and tight so the can heal. You're friend hear doesn't know that you shouldn't move someone who has broken ribs if you can help it." The doctor explained and laughed while giving a sidelong glance at Name's reaction. He had a miffed expression on and the commander helped him.

"The sailors wouldn't let us go into town unless it was an emergency." He retaliated and the doctor shrugged in defeat. Name and Madam Soala moved to the side so the doc could get to Arto and began to undo the buttons of her shirt, which was Name's. She glared at him but allowed him to touch her black, blue and sickly yellow stomach. It was swelling and she winced at the slightest touch.

"Are we in-"

"You are in the doctors office at Port de Fleur." Reid cut in before she could finish the sentence. He'd already gotten off of her and was now putting on his bright red jacket, taking the time to unruffled the frills on the shoulders.

"Get out while her does my chest." She ordered, blushing furiously at Name and Reid with steely eyes full of determination. The boys visibly flinched and the doctor kind of envied being given the chance to escape the small woman's icy glare. Only Reid had the backbone to speak against her.

"What a wonderful thank you this is. We go out of our way to go to a pirate port and all we receive is a not so modest request that we get out! Why does it matter anyway? Name has already-"

"Eek! Enough! Thank you now please get out!" she squealed and he smiled slightly before walking to the door and gestured for Name to follow him.

"Are you sure you are all right Arto?" he asked, worry shining in his eyes.

"I'm fine now, Name.

"Well that's what you said two days ago and now look where you are." He added brashly but followed the commander out the door, closing it behind them.

* * *

"Sir, she's definitely much better off now. She worried me when she was falling unconscious." Name said happily as he closed the down and rushed after his superior would had started to walked down the street away from the docks. Reid had been thinking since the time that name himself had resorted to kissing the girl when she was ni danger of passing out and there was something a little disconcerting I that. He was getting very familiar with the girl who is his best friends woman and that might not be something that should continue. He wouldn't be looking forward to breaking the fact that Arto was headed to jail to name already, much less breaking it if the boy fell for the girl.

'We are now a day and a half behind schedule. Later tonight we must get back out to sea."

"But sir, Arto us still weak. She need to rest and recover he strength." Name protested. Reid ignored his underling's babble and stopped briefly to gaze off at a fruit stand.

"Her life is no longer in danger and we need to leave as quickly as possible if we don't want the government to disapprove." _Especially if they heard we stopped to get help for a prisoner._ He added to himself as he explained this to the boy dully.

"But, sir!"

"Reid grabbed the collar of names white shirt and thrust him into the nearest alley and pushed him up against a wall. He cried out in surprise and pain as his head hit the rough brick of the new building.

"Sir-"

"I'm going to say this once more, don't get any closer to that girl than you are now, don't get attached to her in any way." He said threateningly. His face was a mere two inches away from Name's with Name looking up into his cold eyes. The youth's eyes were hard and scared at this new attitude in the commander who so kindly took such a young man into his crew. He quickly gained his courage though and did something the other crewmembers wouldn't dare do.

"Why should I sir? You know Arto from somewhere don't you? Tell me. I want to know more about her-"

"Are you really going to disagree with your _captain_, sailor? That's insubordination, a federal crime worthy of death." Reid glared art him menacingly at him and immediately looking away from the cold eyes with meek features. Slowly the angry commander let go of his shirt and to a step back from the wall, ignoring the disgusted stares of the passing villagers who were now thoroughly convinced that the navy was worthless people who abused there workers.

"I'm sorry, I was out of line sir. Punish me as you wish." Name said and lowered his head in shame. He couldn't believe how stupid he had just been, thinking he could just go and ask the man anything and expect an answer. He was lucky to even still be a free man. The captain was right, what he had just done was called insubordination and he could have been hanged for it, still could.

"Let's just go back. They're probably done with bandaging her now." He said softly and took the lead in going back.

"Sir, I still have a question."

"What is it Name" he sighed but didn't stop walking.

"Well, I was thinking about how that doctor knew Arto's name. I thought we had probably mentioned it but we actually hadn't. Remember, he said it while he was working." Name asked. His previous nervousness at his superior's behavior was all but gone but he was still guarded for any other land mines he didn't want to hit. However he was curious, not so much over the last question more for the one he'd gotten so harshly reprimanded for. Why the commander, whose female interest rate was low, would go to such lengths to see a young woman not touched. Whose gain was it for? Was there something about Arto that he didn't want him to discover or was he merely protecting her from him if so, there was really no need for that. He wasn't some sex hungry pirate, like Skulls.

"Ah…' the commander stuttered before answering, " the owner of the brothel probably told him; she probably overheard us say her name some time. He said quickly, a little too quickly. Name looked at him doubtfully and his suspicion deepened when the older mad lengthened his stride and name had to jog to catch up. Something was very different about the commander and the young castaway.

* * *

"Finally, we got rid of the officers." Madam Soala sighed as she watched the door click shut and turned back to the bed. "Now we have the real question, what are we going to do now that you are in the hands of the navy and Skulls is scraping the ocean for you? The town all commented on how lost he looked."

"Is he really looking for me? I thought he would just assume that I was dead." Arto wondered aloud and madam Soala's pug face wrinkled together as she frowned.

"I told you he was. Silly child." She scolded and Arto blushed.

"Reid said that when I recover he's going to hand me over to the government for piracy." Arto replied. She had closed her eyes to rest but was still listening while the doctor got out some wraps.

"How does the navy know that you have a connection to Skulls?" the doctor asked as he reached his hand under her slim back and lifted her some he could wrap the bandage all the way around her.

"We were trying to find out if the navy was patrolling the area around Perina but they found out I was in league with pirates, so was caught.'

"What are they going to do now that you're going to be fine? Will they stay here a while? If they stay here a week or so we can get a message to Skulls and have him come raid the harbor." The man suggested.

"That would be wonderful but Reid said they were already off schedule so I doubt they'll stay longer than they have to."

"All right then…" he agreed, " now you're bound up nicely and your head will be fine if you keep that bandage on for a week. You should also stay in bed for another week until your feet heal. You don't want to put any weight on them just yet." He instructed her sternly before getting up to go put away his things in the mahogany cabinet. "you can go to sleep now. The nice madam here and I will try to get the navy to leave you here."

"I've already had someone take the fastest ship to Port Lucina so he'll be here in two days I'll bet." She smiled.

"Thank you." Was all Arto said. Now that there was no danger she could sleep soundly without the fear of never waking up again and now that she knew that the crew hadn't given u on her she could sleep without nightmares. Arto thought that they'd go back to pillaging corrupt nobles without even asking anyone if she was alive. Maybe Skulls really did care about her.

Arto fell asleep just before Name and the commander came back into the room and the younger mans face contorted in worry at the sight of the sleeping girls peaceful face. It was the first time he had seen it. All the other times she'd managed to fall asleep he was always shifting and turning about with a pained look on her face. A peaceful face could mean two things.

"She's fine." The doctor assured Name after seeing his glance, "She's just sleeping. However sir, as a doctor I must encourage that you leave here so I may further heal her. We could then send her wherever she needs to go, or you could come back after you've finished your duties." He suggested, dropping subtle hints to the pair.

"That's a great idea sir! Why don't we come back when she recovers and then we can help her find her ship?" Name exclaimed hopefully. Reid stared right at the eyes of the two adult s as he answered.

"Unfortunately no, she has a meeting in Perina with some officials." His eyes were steely as he confessed that bit of information.

"Are you sure? We'd be quite happy to take care of her for you. She'd be treated well."

"No. Now Name please go alert the crew that we will be leaving in two hours time. Then come back and get all the necessary medicine for Arto." The commander ordered, thoroughly annoyed that these people were talking back to him. Not surprising though, they were as good as pirates and since when did pirates have manners and name was so green that he didn't know just how much authority he held. Never the less the boy shrunk back at the harsh words that he'd gotten all too often today and complied without a word. Now there were only the three adults and Arto in the room.

"I thank you for taking care of Arto. I appreciate it immensely. I need to go prepare my ship and we'll be back by the time night falls to get her. Until then she can stay here." He said before promptly walking out the door after nodding to the two courteously.

* * *

Yes done! I'm done. I don't like working on the computer, prefer my iPod Touch and I've now been on here for the past three hours. Sooo tired and now I have to go write my other fanfiction. Geez, they keep coming.


	9. Chapter 7

OK, you all have express permission from my inner self to kill me. It is my entire fault for not getting a chapter to you sooner and it has been weighing on my mind these past few months. I could not bring myself to write, I had no inspiration for this story. I have been writing other fanfics that may never be published but this one and my Red River fan fiction have been severely neglected. So please verbally kill me if you wish because I deserve it and I will try my best to make this chapter worth it.

Warning: I do not own any of Matsuri Hino's characters. Only Name is mine.

The rest of the day bred uncertainty and angst for the people of Port de Fleur. By allowing the Royal Navy to keep Skulls' woman with them and not stealing her away, all the villagers faced the wrath of the murderous pirate from letting her leave in the government's filthy hands. And though this would certainly be the case, they needed to get their message to Skulls as quickly as possible. The Naval captain had said they were headed to , where Arto would be tried in front of a court as a pirate or pirate's accomplice at least, and most assuredly be publicly hanged. That would be the end of Skulls former kindness to them.

The sun had just set on the horizon when the seaman came once more to collect the sleeping Arto from the doctor's clinic. The captain had since changed clothes, opting for a commoners white cotton shirt and brown breeches. Many of the townspeople snickered, thinking he was trying to be a little less inconspicuous, at which he was failing miserably.

He knocked softly on the door, figuring she was still resting, and was let in quietly by the doctor. By the salve and clean bandages sitting on the table next to the bed, he guessed correctly that he had been reapplying medicine to her wound. And this had clearly woken Arto up from her peaceful slumber. She was now sitting up and rubbing her eyes tiredly; she hadn't gotten a full night sleep since before the storm and so she was nowhere near rested quite yet. The doctor took this to be a good thing, as good as sleep deprivation could be. If she was asleep, there was no way she could be up and trying to walk before she was properly healed. He knew that that was what she was planning to do.

Doc motioned the commander farther into the room and they returned to Arto who looked up as they walked in.

"Are you almost ready to go?" he asked her, voice soft and filled with kindness.

"No. Why can't you just leave me here?" she protested loudly, clearly having regained her voice.

"Because you will do fine with us and I need to be sure that you are taken to Port the minute you are well."

"And I can't do that here?" she questioned innocently.

"No. Absolutely not. We both know that this town is in league with Skulls so that is most certainly not an option. Now are you ready to go?"

"…I guess. Is Name with you?"

"He is not. He too is catching up with some much needed sleep." He answered and then turned to the Doctor. "Is she able to walk back to the ship?"

"Gods no! She isn't even allowed to try and put weight on her feet for at least a week or so. It could be lethal to her if her burns were to get infected, she'd probably collapse in the attempt anyway!" he exclaimed, seemingly surprised a military general couldn't understand something like that.

"Alright then fine, is she allowed to go then? We need to leave very soon."

"I suppose she may." He said, turning back to Arto, who looked like she was about to fall asleep again. "You need to be sure to listen to what I said. There won't be a sympathetic doctor for a while now." He told her.

"I'll try." She answered quietly and an awkward silence fell between the three of them but only felt by two. The doctor and the commander had begun a staring showdown while Arto continued to let her heads droop in exhaustion. It was Reid who finally decided to break the silence and staring in order to get his ship under way.

"We need to depart." He said plainly. Walking briskly over to the bed he knelt down next to her. "Put your arms around my neck so you don't fall over."

"I don't want to go! She pouted and crossed her arms stubbornly across her cheek and looked away. The doctor inwardly snickered at her nerve.

"Well, you're not going to stay here so let's go!" he spoke angrily and she flinched. Soundlessly she held onto him as her put a hand under her knees and another under her arms. He came up and she squeaked in surprise and the doctor yelled, "Be careful with her!"

"Doc, thank you kindly for helping Arto. Good-bye." Arto looked behind over Reid's shoulder and watched the face of the doctor grow smaller and disappear behind the door. The commander walked confidently through the town towards the harbor, despite the looks of hatred on the faces of the villagers. Arto was content to lay her head against his shoulder in the hope that she would fall back asleep quickly as she so longed to do.

"Do you hate me for taking you away from this place?" he asked suddenly and her eyes opened once more as she looked up into his tanned face. He wouldn't look back down at her but instead kept his eyes directly ahead of him, focused on the waiting ship. She frowned momentarily but then her face went slack.

"I have no time to be angry. I have to recover."

"And what then? When we get to port you'll be taken away to be hanged and there will be nothing that anyone can do about it. That doctor has sent a scout to Skulls and we are following him. We will soon know his location and we will arrest them." He told her firmly.

"Well that doesn't mean that you will succeed. He probably won't even come. He has better things to do than save me." She replied just as strongly. She didn't feel strong though. She didn't want Skulls to come for her because he would be walking into a death trap. Somewhere she knew though that he would try to come and save her, even if it meant his death.

"I think you underestimate his love for you." He said kindly.

She grunted quietly in an uncaring fashion and went back to trying to sleep, hoping that when she awoke the ache in her feet would have gone down.

When they arrived at the ship the crew was there lining the side to greet there return.

"Welcome back captain. We are ready to set sail on your command. Is the miss alright?" the first mate asked when they reached the top of the gangplank.

"Yes she will be fine. We may now cast off. Make sure everyone is on board. Is Name awake yet?"

There was a crash as a barrel fell over and Name came tripping out of the lower deck.

"Right here sir! You didn't have to go get Arto. I could have done it if someone had woke me up." He said. He was only wearing breeches and his hair was a clear case of bed head but he was none the less alert and ready for orders.

"You deserved some sleep. But now you can do me a favor and put her in the cabin and get her some food. She is not allowed to fall asleep until she has eaten all that the cook gives her." He ordered and name stepped forward to take the exhausted Arto from his hands. She blushed, her face flaring red at being held so close to his naked torso that still radiated heat from his blankets. She pretended to try and fall asleep with her face pressed against his shoulder so that he couldn't see her face. It was dumb considering the fact that she wasn't yet permitted to fall asleep. He quickly switched her into one hand, not giving her the privilege of his support and so now she was looking down at his face. With the other hand he began to gently slap her cheek.

"You're not allowed to fall asleep Arto. You need to eat first in order to help your body heal." He said as they ducked through the doorway into the commanders. He now felt as if he almost lived here he'd been there so often. He placed her gently on the bed and said he'd be right back and left to see what the cook had made tonight.

She was tired, inexplicably so, to the point when she laid back down on the covers she was taken in a wave of dizziness. Her chance had slipped by. She wasn't going to be able to return to Skulls now. If he came, even at full speed he wouldn't be able to make it in time before the government decreed an immediate execution.

Name returned soon with two plates and what had been the dinner that night, both of them had slept through it. He set one down on the neighboring table and the other he brought over to the bed as he sat down and picked up the spoon up to feed her a bite of soup.

"I can feed myself Name." she said.

"Oh, yes you can." He said. He was embarrassed to feel the disappointment that came when she said that. He had actually enjoyed feeding her like she was a helpless child. He handed the spoon over and she thanked him. Grabbing his own plate they sat eating in silence.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me Name. When we first met it was pretty informal. My name is Arto and yours is Name." she said and stuck her hand out to shake. Name smiled at her simplicity and took her hand.

"And what a pleasure it is to meet you Miss Arto. I hope to be friends in the future." He said and they went back to eating.

"Hey do you know who the governor of the town we're going to is?" she asked.

"Ah, yes it is Governor Lanceman. He moved to this island when the Pirate Skulls attacked eight years ago." He said and Arto's eyes went wide and her skin pale. There was certainly no way Skulls was going to put himself in the view of his uncle. The very reason he chose to become a pirate was to get rid of people like him who steal from peasants. However the longer she thought about the more it seemed to appeal to people like Skulls.

"Are you alright Arto? You're looking awfully pale." Name asked in concern. He didn't know why the governors name struck a cord in her but he didn't want to see her sad. He swiped his hand in front of her face but it didn't do anything, she continued to stare off into space. It was beginning to really worry him. He said her name a few more times but when he did not get an answer decided he had to go to more direct methods. He knew he shouldn't be doing this but it was the only way to get her attention.

He kissed her. It was a soft but full kiss and succeeded to startle her. Suddenly though a hand shot out from beside them and a fist hit name square in the mouth, knocking him off the stool and onto the floor. Hwe wiped the blood off his lips and looked up to see the captain was his assailant.

"Commander…" he started.

"She is not yours and will never be yours unless you kill her love. I suggest you remember that. Do not touch her again." The captain ordered and picked Arto up from the bed. Regardless of how tired she had been when she had first been carried in she was now awake and alert. "You're going to pay your way now. Sing for te men while they eat. It's too bad you don't have the Devil's Score with you. It us the perfect iece for you."

"Oh, but I memorized it! The crew wanted to hear it almost every night so it was impossible not to remember." She answered, very happy that he was whisking her away from an uncomfortable situation. Reid stopped in the doorway and looked back at Name who was still sitting on the ground.

"Name I'd like you to meet me in my office. I'll be right back." He ordered and the accused nodded his head. Reid carried her carefully out of the room and onto the deck and then down the steps to the bridge. He took her down a hall where she heard rowdy voices and soon was brought in the dining area for the crew.

"Well if it isn't the little Miss! And how are you feeling today?" one sailor asked as he shoveled soup into his mouth and she told him she was much better along with thanking the kind man for his concern. The commander then proceeded to part the crowd in order to sit her down on the edge of a table in the center of the crew.

"Arto here is an excellent songstress. If you ask her nicely I'm sure she would be happy to sing for you." He said and the crew immediately swarmed her, asking for many a different songs. "Men, she knows the Devil's Score. I suggest you ask for that since the navy doesn't have it. She is quite adept at it." He threw out before leaving her to deal with the enthusiastic bunch. He had something of his own to see too.

It wasn't that he didn't want Name to be fond of Arto. But if the sailor ever learned that the girl he had grown quite fond of was actually the lover of Skulls then he would almost assuredly kill himself for ever falling for such a thing, even if it was accidental. He didn't want to ruin the young man's life by letting him get involved with someone over his head. Name wanted to think himself as man as the rest of them but it would be years before he was physically equal to the rest of the crew.

He went immediately to his office after leaving Arto and found Name sitting in a chair looking at his folded hands. When he heard the captain come in he jumped out of his seat and bowed deeply and Reid released him to sit once more. He went to sit in the chair opposite Name, which happened to be behind his desk. He sat in a lazy stance and studied the boy for a few moments before starting to speak.

"The reason I put her in your care was because I thought I could trust you to watch her but not touch her." He said and those words struck harder than the blow he had been delivered not five minutes ago. He had a deep respect for the captain who had taken him on despite his youth and inexperience. He had worked hard to live up to his expectations and in a single action had completely broken that trust. He wondered if it had been worth it.

"I have no excuse sir. Please punish me for my actions." Name asked.

"Don't worry. I will indeed punish you. But I will first have you understand why. I would have no problem you courting Arto if she was anyone else but I would rather not see you die."

"You are always saying that but why? Why is it that if I get close to her I would die." He asked, looking up at the captain and he noticed that the boy's voice held a hint of anger.

"That girl is protected by a very ruthless man that would not hesitate to kill you for kissing her. And though she may never get to see him again, you and I will definitely and I don't want you to die needlessly." The captain answered and Name began to feel his own anger rising. He could never get a straight answer from this man.

"And who is this person? Is Arto married to him or something? You're not giving me enough information to say that it is hopeless."

"Then you admit that you love this girl?" Reid demanded.

"Yes, I do. But Captain I respect you so I would keep my distance as long as you gave me a good reason!" he shouted. He was tired of the captain always beating around the bush. Reid looked at him hard for a moment. He trusted this boy, enough to keep Arto's secret even maybe. He would have to see if this decision would be worth it.

"Fine. Let's go get Arto and she'll tell you." He said.


	10. Chapter 8

Note: I do not own WANTED. If I did it would be more than one volume!

* * *

They quickly left Reid's office and went back down the slippery stairs leading to the bridge. Name was jittery from either excitement or nervousness at the information he was about to receive though he was somewhat nervous as to what that might be. When they were closer he began to hear the voice of a woman. It was like nothing he had ever heard before in his life. The sound was smooth and right in tune.

Reid opened the door and Name was brought face to face with Arto who was in the middle of the crowd of feasting men. She was the source of the lovely music. For a small girl her voice was very mature and sounded like one of a Siren out of mythology. They took a spot in the back of the room so as not to disturb her and waited for her to finish. It was some minutes before her song came to a close and at that point Reid pushed through the crowd and picked her up gently. The crew protested loudly but Reid told them she would gladly sing for them some other time since they had something to talk about.

"But I wasn't done yet! It's been days since I've gotten to sing for anyone! Why do we have to leave so soon?" she asked and Reid stood rigid.

"We need to talk." he answered and she immediately knew something was wrong. When Reid had brought her to sing for the crew she thought he was trying to make her more comfortable by letting her do something she enjoyed. Something must have happened for him to take her back to her room this soon.

The crew soon got over the loss of their singer and went back to eating their food as Reid, Arto and Name walked out of the room and into the hall.

"What's the matter?" she asked when they were alone and out of earshot from the dining hall.

"You, Arto are going to tell Name exactly where you are from. I feel that he needs to know why you are on this journey with us." He told her sternly, leaving no room for discussion. Her eyes widened slightly and she swallowed.

"But why? There's no need for that…" she said uselessly. Name had been kind to her in the days he had taken care of her. She had come to think of him as a dear friend and she held no ill will towards him after he had kissed her because that was all she thought of him as: a friend. He might want to be more but she didn't and she wasn't about to lead him on into thinking it was a possibility. She was slightly embarrassed to say that she wasn't particularly fazed by being kissed anymore. Well especially for one as light as that. She didn't want to lose what they had and if she told him that she loved the man who had killed his father then he would never forgive her.

"I want to know the truth Arto," Name said, looking around Reid in order to see her. "I can keep a secret and how bad could it be?"

"Worse because it's you. I don't have to say anything!" she protested, folding her arms over her chest in defiance as she glared at Reid.

"That may be true but if you don't tell him everything then I will tell him for you and you wouldn't want that." Reid said persuasively and the girl in his arms sighed in defeat. He had once again cornered her so that she couldn't escape. She nodded in calm resignation just as the climbed back up the stairs and walked into her room, for it had indeed become hers. He lifted up the covers on the bed and set her down carefully under them before pulling them up again.

"So what's this all about Arto?" he asked, looking at her with curiosity and when she looked at his sincere eyes she quickly turned her head away. A feeling of sadness and guilt came over her and created a black pit in her stomach that churned sickeningly. This boy was so nice and kind and soon she was about to take that encouraging smile right off his face with just a few words. And she didn't see any way out of it either.

"Where do you want me to start?" she asked hesitantly, aiming the question at Reid who had moved to stand in a corner while Name stayed right in front of her, quivering with pent up energy. This was the first time she had actually felt like a prisoner with these two men, like she was being questioned in a murder.

"Start with where you were when the storm hit." He answered. "he has been questioning about who you answer to."

"I don't answer to anyone! I am my own person and do not take orders if they are not just!" she said fiercely and sighed when he gave her a cold look that clearly said to just get on with it. "Fine. Name I was on a pirate ship when the storm hit, Skull's ship. We were sailing away from you guys when the storm blew up and I fell overboard. It was stupid of me since he had told me to stay in our room. That caused the injuries I had, a lamp fell over and the wax got on my feet." She began to explain and as soon as she spoke the word pirate all the color drained from his face. He had hung onto every word and hadn't failed to notice that she said 'our room'. It made him angry. Name sat there staring at her, his expression hardening quickly and the color rising inn his face as he became more angry and his hatred boiled inside him.

"Why didn't you kill her the moment she was pulled onto this ship? Why didn't you just leave her for dead on the waves of that harsh water?" he asked the captain dangerously, his voice stone cold and his eyes like ice.

"She is to await trial at the Lanceman Estate. She is of more value alive right now than dead. She might be able to tell us about Skulls under persuasion."

"That man is cruel and steals money from poor people to further himself. One day Skulls will kill him for his crimes." Arto insisted, a note of malice on her voice that startled Name. She had always spoken kindly to him, perhaps this was how she truly was, the real Arto, the pirate.

"Even Skulls wouldn't be as foolish or unfaithful as to try and kill his uncle, who is his only family. Even he has more honor for blood ties than that."

"He doesn't care who it is. If they are unjust then he will kill them. The reason he turned into Skulls was because of his uncle. He didn't feel any remorse when he killed the Marquis of Glendor. He was financing a war that need not have been fought." she explained reproachfully and didn't notice Name flinch at the name of the man who his father had worked and died for. She was not in a mood to be sympathetic. This was something she had come to firmly believe in.

"How did a girl like you, who I thought was such a kind girl, become a pirate?" Name whispered. This talk was breaking him down quickly. All that he thought he and Arto would be able to share had diminished to nothing. Arto heard his statement quite clearly and thought about it for a moment but then decided she might as well tell him since she had already said so much.

"Skull's real name is Luce Lanceman. I was staying with him eight years ago with my troupe when the island was attacked by Skulls. Luce was kidnapped and I spent the rest of my life trying to find him. I only recently managed to, and I found out that he was now Skulls." She explained.

Name stayed silent and Arto asked Reid if there was anything else he wanted her to say and when he said no she asked if they would leave so that she could sleep. She suddenly felt extremely tired and knew she was about to pass out from exhaustion. Name then spoke something that left her with an intense feeling of dismay and fear.

"I want to kill you right now you know." Name stated, glaring at the pirate viciously. Reid walked over to the bed in case name tried to choke her or something and asked why he wanted to kill her even though all of them already knew the answer. Reid told him that she was only a pirate's accomplice and had never actually killed anyone. She hadn't been the one to kill his father even though she remembered the faces of the bodies the crew had thrown over the side of the ship.

"If I killed you maybe Skulls would feel some remorse for all the family's suffering over their loved ones right now because of what he has done."

"No… he wouldn't feel anything if I died. He is not that kind of person." She lied through her teeth. She knew very well now that when Skulls got word that she was alive he would try and get her back. He cared for her, maybe not enough to stop his pirating career but he would be sad if she died. At least she hoped he would. This was the reason she was glad that the Doc had sent someone to tell him she was alive. She didn't want him going through his life thinking she had drowned when she had actually been executed. It wasn't much better but still, she wanted to die at the hands of a person, not an element.

"Now Arto, you know that's not true. You shouldn't lie to spare yourself. When you were delirious you spoke of someone named 'Luce'. I didn't know who he was then but now I do. And just a second ago you said 'our room'. You can't say that you two don't have a relationship." Name rejected.

"Friends only!"

"Arto, he said that he wanted you to stay by his side forever. Don't you remember?" Reid said.

"He was delirious then from you shooting him!"

"I don't see why we are mothering to argue about this since you are going to die immediately when you reach the Lanceman Estate. You can brood on that till we get there. Maybe you shouldn't have sung the Devil's Score."

"It was worth it." she mumbled.

"Sir, shouldn't we send out a scout to find Skull's ship? Surely the people in the village would have gone to tell him about her." Name interjected speaking the word 'her' as if it was foul to the mouth. The pieces were starting to come together now, every little comment, and the behavior of the townspeople.

"Already done Name, we will no doubt be seeing Skulls soon though by that time she will be dead. I'm sure you would love the chance to behead him but we will have to set a trap for him first."

"Please don't plan your schemes in front of me. I feel insulted." Arto complained. She was beginning to feel very anxious over dying just a few days.

"You won't be able to do anything anyway since you'll be dead." Name said harshly and his stomach suddenly felt very nauseous. Everyone went quiet, nobody looking at another. When Name finally turned around and left the room Arto let out a sigh of relief she didn't know she'd been holding and relaxed. She ignored Reid, who was still in the room and snuggled under the covers.

"I'll let you sleep now Arto but Name's still going to nurse you until we make port. That is his punishment." He said and she grunted her assent, not that it mattered. He left and closed to door, leaving the room in complete darkness that allowed her to slip into a sweet state of a sleep.

* * *

Review please!


End file.
